CVS Journal: They’re just about ready to work on 2014 event

BARRINGTON — Larry Merlo did not need to wait until play was completed Tuesday to declare the 15th annual CVS Caremark Charity Classic a rousing success.Even as the competitors were still on the Rhode...

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PAUL KENYON
Posted Jun. 25, 2013 @ 7:15 pm

BARRINGTON — Larry Merlo did not need to wait until play was completed Tuesday to declare the 15th annual CVS Caremark Charity Classic a rousing success.

Even as the competitors were still on the Rhode Island County Club course, Merlo, the CVS president and CEO, already had gathered enough information to know that the event had another big year.

“It’s just been a fantastic 15th anniversary,” Merlo said. “I know ticket sales were up 200 percent before the tournament started. Crowds out there seem pretty strong. It feels like there’s a lot of energy out on the course. I think some of the things that were added this year helped, like Bubba’s (Watson) hovercraft.

“I know that while there were a lot of people watching the players on front nine yesterday there was quite an attraction over here on the back nine with the “All Kids Can” three-hole challenge. Seeing those kids outfitted in the Rickie Fowler lookalike gear and doing their best to sink those putts. . . It was great. I think those kids had a great time. There were a lot of adults that were cheering just as hard for the kids.”

A large chuck of the money raised for charity comes from the gala held Monday night. The band Train provided the entertainment and was a big hit.

“People opened up their wallets, voted with their hearts and did some wonderful things to support the charities and the auction. We’re pretty excited about the evening,” Merlo related. “We’ll definitely be adding to that $16-million total.”

The event has raised more than $16 million to area charities in the first 14 years. The numbers look good again this year and all is full speed ahead for 2014, Merlo reported.

“Brad [Faxon], Billy [Andrade] and Peter [Jacobsen] always have a lot of ideas in terms of how we can add excitement [in 2014]. That’s what it’s all about,” Merlo said.

“At the end of the day, as we’ve often talked about, while the tournament starts with golf, it really ends with the checks that get distributed to the charities. … We have the day in December in Woonsocket where it becomes a very special moment and over a million dollars gets handed out to the charities. It’s just as good a day as giving the trophy this afternoon on 18.”

Straight ahead

The tourney co-hosts made it clear they are happy to keep the event going as long as CVS is willing to stay behind it.

“We keep surprising ourselves,” Faxon said. “It seems like we get new guys every year. We get the top players every year. We get fun guys every year like Fuzzy Zoeller. We get Hall of Famers coming back like Annika [Sorenstam], Juli [Inkster] and Nick [Price].

“I don’t think we ever set a goal like, ‘Let’s do this for four years or six years.’ Let’s just keep doing it and if we keep giving money away, if everybody has fun and we get people to come out and watch, we’re winning,” he said.

“I don’t see anyone without smiles on their faces,” Andrade said. “We’re in the entertainment business. Once we get these guys to come here, they see it. We had Dan Hicks from NBC this week. He never had an idea what this tournament was like. All the players that have come have been very supportive of us and what we’re doing for the charities. We’re all about charity. Everyone has their own charities around the country. They see what we’re doing here and it’s a win-win. And they also leave here with some pocket change.”

Thompson has ties

Heart patients won big on Tuesday. Michael Thompson won the daily closest to the pin contest when he hit his tee shot on the bayside 17th hole to 5 feet, 5 inches of the hole. Thompson was playing for the American Heart Association.

“This is fantastic news,” said Susan Sarro, regional vice-president of the American Heart Association. “The extra $25,000 will go a long way to improve the cardiovascular health of all Rhode Islanders. We are grateful to continue to be a working charity at the CVS Caremark Charity Classic.”

Thompson spoke about how the tournament made an impression on him.

Thompson, who partnered with Zoeller and finished tied for seventh, said he has been to Rhode Island before, to visit a friend. It made a positive impression. Coming back for the tournament reinforced that feeling to the point where it sparked a conversation between him and his wife.